


Rescue

by Pi (Rhea)



Category: Star Driver: Kagayaki no Takuto
Genre: Multi, Yuletide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-17
Updated: 2011-12-17
Packaged: 2017-10-27 11:22:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/295293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rhea/pseuds/Pi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What happened after the last episode (i.e. how do you rescue boys in space?)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rescue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Nonesane](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nonesane/gifts).



> Based off a serious conversation about the end of the show, also known as I had to write this before I could write something reasonable because I kept getting distracted with ridiculousness. And then it turned into something longer and became an actual story and not a crazy idea. This is why I love this fandom.

It's over a week before Wako sees Takuto and Sugata in person again, a rather awkward week. Wako sort of assumed, given the end of the world not ending, that things would go back to normal and be all sorted. But having her potential boyfriends stuck in space made that a bit difficult. She spent six hours on the phone, using her grandmother’s contacts, who knew the woman had once held an important position in government, to convince someone, anyone really, that a rescue mission to low earth orbit was necessary.

How none of the various international space programs seemed to notice a giant robot suddenly in space, Wako never quite understood. But once she got the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan to aim their telescopes at the right areas they quickly offered assistance. It was probably fueled by the quest to see this robot weapon she referred to and salvage pieces rather the rescue of Takuto and Sugata. Of course, by then the international media was reporting on it. Wako had never been to a press conference before, much less held one. Still, she squared her shoulders and marched up to the microphone. She had the crazy impulse to wave at the cameras and say “Hi, grandma!” but she restrained herself, tugging down on her denim skirt. Uncomfortably aware her voice sticking in the back of her throat Wako addressed the entire assembly of news reporters in an attempt to explain, in the most generic of terms, how she knew the two boys who appeared to be orbiting the earth in a force-field bubble. She had trouble with the question of where they'd acquired the technology. Wako shrugged at the blonde woman in her neat-pressed blue pants suit, her microphone thrust sharply outwards. Genetic magic and alien influence didn't go over any better with news anchors than it had with the international authorities, but Wako stuck to her story. It was true after all.

Walking down from the podium, Wako’s legs felt shaky, whether from the tension of addressing both the NHK and CNN, or because of relief that it was over she wasn’t sure. She flopped gratefully into the chair waiting just beyond the pressroom in the corridor. The black-suited, sunglasses wearing guards who’d been following her since the government approved the press conference kept his position silently beside her. Wako felt a little sorry for Southern Cross Island given that she'd basically sicced the attention of the whole world on her sleepy little home, but perhaps it was time that the ridiculous shenanigans of the Glittering Crux and the saving of the world came to light. At least the right people would be getting credit.

Financing a space rescue mission had never been done before either. Wako was grateful that Kanako was so amenable to pulling the right strings to send cashflow necessary to build the unmanned retrieval vessel. The girl had tossed her green hair over her bare shoulder and smiled at Wako, a finger pressed thoughtfully to her full lips.  
“It would be such a shame to leave them in space. I’m sure I can get my husband to help.” Wako hadn’t been on Kanako’s yacht since the party all those months ago, but she still recognized the alligator that ambled past behind Kanako on the screen.  
“Thank you, really.”  
Kanako shrugged off Wako’s words with a lazy roll of her shoulders, “This should even us up. You three did save us after all.” Kanako waved goodbye, leaning forward to turn off the video feed with a movement that left a final shot of her ample cleavage. With Kanako work on the issue Wako felt her shoulders relax just a touch. She sighed, blowing her blond bangs out of her face and taking a moment to finally stare around the hotel room. She’d never been beyond the island before. And now that she was out in the wider world she hadn’t really had the time to enjoy it.

That evening Wako went out to dinner ready to enjoy the culinary wonders of Tokyo. She was recognized halfway through her meal. Steak and potatoes weren’t nearly so tasty when there were flash bulbs going off. What her choice of meal would have to do with the news Wako couldn’t fathom, but she asked for the rest of the meal to go and left. Her email pinged with Kanako’s message around 1 am. Engineers were already drafting a rescue pod that would pick up the boys and bring them to the international space station. They'd take the next flight down to earth. Finally, Wako managed to sleep.

Wako wasn't particularly worried about the bubble running out of energy or oxygen, Tauburn too was built to well for flaws like that, but Wako still felt the pressure of each extra day, both in paparazzi outside her hotel, and in her own worry over the state of their relationships. It was good that Takuto and Sugata were getting the chance to connect and time to talk out their feelings. Wako was still unclear as to whether she would slap or kiss Sugata first when she saw him again. How could he really think that removing himself from the equation was the proper answer? Really. Clearly they were in need of some direct communication. Takuto too, because Wako knew he could probably psyche himself out of their relationship, particularly if he felt he was ceding to Sugata. Though hopefully being trapped out in space would function similarly to locking them in a room together. Wako felt a sudden, pressing need to buy a high-powered telescope, and ask the rest of the world to avert their eyes. It wouldn't be quite the flowing draped, comfy-pillowed scene she'd imagined previously for them, but the idea was still highly enticing. It probably wasn’t helping that Wako was spending her time stewing in her hotel room. Her mind had always been overactive since she was a child, but this waiting seemed to be making everything worse threefold. Wako shook her head to dispel the fantasy and gathered her towel to take some laps in the hotel pool. If she couldn’t do her daily ritual cleansing as a maiden she could still enjoy the cool sluice of water over her body as she cut down the time to the moment she would finally see them again.

Wako didn't wind up buying the telescope. She spent the first few minutes in the command center trying to read from the expressions and reactions of the technicians, had they got an eyeful? Everyone was too tense to offer any clues. Wako's grip clenched white around the plastic lip of the table. If this failed it might be another few months before they could fund and send another rescue. Remotely guiding the rescue pod through space appeared to be taking most of the attention of the room. Wako kept her eyes trained on the screen, breath held tight behind her teeth as the camera on the pod showed the wreckage of Tauburn swimming into view. Wako couldn't help the little jump of excitement when she saw them, floating arm-in-arm apparently conversing happily, if Takuto's signature grin was any sign. Sugata gestured a slim fingered hand to the pod as it sped towards them. Without sound, Wako couldn't tell what was being said. Takuto's chest blocked the camera for a few moments, leaving a close up of the red fabric of his shirt as he read the instructions on the rescue pod.

The command center was complete silent. Wako bit her lip, felt the sting of her teeth enough to suspect she’d drawn blood. But she couldn’t pull her eyes of the screen. It switched to static, the moment dragging out painfully until finally the image was replaced by an internal shot of the rescue pod.  
"Hey!" Takuto grinned into the camera, before floating back a few feet so Sugata could share the frame. "Thanks for the lift! I think the cabins now fully pressurized but it could still be the bubble, if it's surrounding the whole thing. Maybe you could get the space station to take a picture of us if the engineers are curious." Takuto did a summersault in mid air, "Great idea, Wako.” Wako grinned into her headset, raising her voice over the cacophony of applause in the room around her,  
"Thanks! Welcome back." Wako couldn’t keep the smile out of her voice, relief floating her heart like a balloon up into her throat. Sugata ducked his head a bit at that, smiling slightly. Wako breathed deep, she wouldn’t start crying not here with all these people. She cleared her throat, "The space station should be passing by in the next hour, they'll pick you up and you'll be home probably sometime tomorrow."  
"I hope it's not too incontinent, are they changing their schedule for us?" Sugata asked. Wako shook her head and then remembered they couldn't see her.  
"Nope, it's actually quite good luck."  
"Ah, well, then that's good." Sugata floated farther from the camera, his face fading out of it’s range of focus. Wako bit down on her frustration. There were so many words fighting behind her teeth but with an audience of about 100 people not to mention the camera crew filming for the press release or news station or whatever, she would just have to wait.

They spent the time waiting for the space station with small talk: the beauty of the stars from outer space, whether or not Tauburn might be fixed (a definite no), and what the best board game to bring to space might be, in case this happened again. Wako was reluctant to let them go when the space station finally cast its shadow over the rescue pod. Takuto waved goodbye and Sugata followed him off screen when the pod had safely docked. The amount of technological advance in space travel that this rescue mission was accomplishing, mostly with input based on Glittering Crux designs, and Kanako’s connections was truly astounding. Wako didn't have much time to appreciate that fact though, because she was busying dodging news media and cameras on her way to the flight that would take her to the landing of the space shuttle.

There wasn’t much to pack up at the hotel. Wako took a few minutes to call her grandmother, relaying the good news. The government was paying for her plane flight, a nice gesture. A black tinted SUV was waiting for her, idling at the curb of the hotel when Wako checked out. Wako stares out the window of the car, watching the bustle of the city, trains passing, and people flocking across intersections, the towering buildings of Tokyo with their colorful advertisements blurring in her unfocused vision. Wako’s glad not to have to ride the press of people on the train, sitting with her fingers fiddling in her lap is hard enough when she’s just by herself.

The plane flight was long. Wako’d never ridden on a plane before. At first, it was impossible to sleep, but after an hour of contorting in the confines of her seat she managed to drift off. The lightening of sky from the sliver of window exposed where she hadn’t fully pulled it down brings her swimming from dreams into reality. The map read-out on the back of the seat in front of her claimed they were three hours before they would land. Wako sat up and stretched, pressing her fingers against the planes ceiling. She flipped through the movies available, looking for distraction. Giant robots and science fiction action, Wako plugged in the headphones, courtesy of the airline and tried not to fall back asleep.

Wako wasn't surprised that the base was surrounded by gawkers of all kinds. The shiny black limo that picked her up at the airport with its tinted windows and apparently armed, for her protection, driver, drives her safely past the crowd. Wako found it hard to wait, standing in the terminal building watching the fighter jets idle or clear the runway for their immanent outer-space guest. Fortunately she didn’t have to wait too long. The space shuttle came to land reminded her of a goose, at once graceful and ungainly, it's neck craning up as it's wings flap down to land. The parachute deployed, a bright pink tail flag announcing a safe return. Wako waited impatiently, fingers pressed to the curved metal bar of the door waiting for the all clear so she could shove her way out onto the field.

She’d been warned that it might take them a few moments to deplane or de-shuttle, whatever. Given they've been a week in space Takuto and Sugata might be disoriented by gravity. Wako squashed the urge to stomp her boots impatiently. Jumping down the bottom steps off the shuttle, Takuto did not seem to be swayed by gravity. He hit the ground running. Wako opened her arms with a happy laugh as he crashed into her. The force of their meeting spun them around so Wako had to crane her head over her shoulder to see Sugata making his hurried, but slightly more dignified way over to them. She squeezed Takuto's shoulders, letting go and turning to give Sugata his hug.  
"You idiot," she pressed the words into his ear, and then turned that bit further to press her lips to his. She'd save the slap for another time. Keeping an arm slung around Sugata's shoulders she turned, grabbing Takuto by the collar when he looked as if he might dance out of the way. Smiling, Wako planted one on him as well. The way Takuto's arms flailed would be funny if she weren't so glad to see him.

The other astronauts, home safe from the shuttle were starting to deplane. Wako could see other wives and husbands, a little girl about six clinging to her mother’s hand, watching anxiously. It was not the most private place in the world, but Wako didn’t want to wait. She let go of both of them and took a step back, hands on her hips.  
"So, that's my position on this," she cocked her head to the side, inviting. "The worlds not over, I've made my choice." she held a hand to each of them. "What do you say?"  
Takuto grinned, his hand shooting out to snag her own. His warm fingers squeezed against hers as he turned his smile to Sugata. Takuto extended a hand, Sugata the unconnected point of the triangle. Sugata tilted his head back and in that moment Wako realized she'd never truly heard him laugh before. Instead of taking either of their hands, Sugata stepped forward and wrapped his arms around each of them, pulling them against his chest. Takuto had to duck his head down a little, but Wako fit perfectly against his shoulder, sliding her nose into the crook of his neck and breathing in oh-so-alive Sugata. She shot a mischievous smile across Sugata's collarbone at Takuto. With lightening precision she leaned up to gently nibble at Sugata's ear, springing away before he could even say, "Hey!" his hand coming up to protect the offended appendage, checks flushing red.  
"There are things I want to talk about, do and they certainly aren't happening on an airfield." Wako called over her shoulder. "Are you coming?" This time Sugata did run to catch up with her, Takuto at his side.


End file.
